THE WATER-COCK. 
349 
brown; the outer web of the first primary white ; sides of the breast and 
of the abdomen the same deep olive- brown as the upper plumage ; flanks^ 
vent and under tail-coverts chestnut ; under wing-coverts smoky brown^ 
some of the feathers edged with white. 
Bill green_, the frontal portion red ; legs pale orange-yellow ; claws 
brown ; iris crimson ; edges of the eyelids dark brown. 
Length 12*5 inches^ tail 2*5^ wing 7'5_, tarsus 2'2_, bill from gape 1*5. 
The female is rather smaller. 
The White- breasted Water-hen is extremely abundant throughout the 
whole Province. 
It inhabits nearly the whole of the peninsula of India_, Ceylon and the 
Andaman Islands^ the Indo-Burmese countries,, Southern China^ Siam^ 
Cochin China and the Malay peninsula^ extending to Sumatra, Java^ 
Banca, Borneo, Celebes and the Philippine Islands. 
This, the commonest member of the family in Burmah, is universally 
distributed. It frequents not only swampy localities, but is perhaps more 
commonly found in bamboo-jungle, patches of brushwood near villages, 
and in the tall rank hedges so common round monasteries. It has a par- 
ticularly loud unpleasant call, more like the braying of an ass than any 
thing else. I have very frequently found its nest in June. It is some- 
times placed on the ground, but as a rule it will be found in some stunted 
tree about ten or fifteen feet from the ground ; it is made of leaves 
chiefly. The eggs, generally four in number, are pale buff marked with 
reddish brown. 
Genus GALLICREX, Bl. 
701. GALLICEEX CINEREUS. 
THE WATER-COCK. 
Fulica cinerea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 702. Gallinula cristata, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. 
p. 779. Gallicrex cristatus, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 716; Salvad. Ucc. Bom. 
p. 340 ; Bl. ^ Wald. B. Burm. p. 161 ; Kelham, Ibis, 1882, p. 186. Gallicrex 
cinereus, Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 596 ; id. S. F. ii. p. 300, iii. p. 187 ; Wald. 
Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 229 ; Oates, S. F. v. p. 165 ; Wardlaiv Ramsay, Ibis, 1877, 
p. 471 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine^ p. 484 ; Hume 8f Dav. S. F. vi. p. 466 ; Legge, 
Birds Ceylon, p. 791 ; Cripps, S. F. vii. p. 305 ; Hume, 8. F. viii. p. 113 ; Oates, 
S. F. X. p. 242. 
Description. — Male in summer. Crown of the head black; lores and 
cheeks dark brown j the whole upper neck, back and scapulars dark brown, 
each feather edged with grey ; lower back, rump, scapulars, tertiaries and 
